The financial and corporate strategy of a company is underpinned by effective internal
systems in which the internal audit has an important role in raising the reliability of the internal control
system, improving the process of risk management and above all, satisfying the needs of internal
users. The internal audit support enhances the system of responsibility that the executive directors and
employees have towards the owners and other stakeholders (Eighme & Cashell, 2002). Taken
together, the internal audit department provides a reliable, objective, and neutral service to the
management, board of directors, and audit committee, while stakeholders are interested in return on
investments, sustainable growth, strong leadership, and reliable reporting on the financial performance
and business practices of a company (Ljubisavljević & Jovanovi, 2011).
audit is a crucial part of corporate governance structure in an organization and corporate governance
(CG) covers the activities of oversight conducted by the board of directors and audit committees to
ensure credible financial reporting process (Public Oversight Board, 1994). Consistent with previous
studies of the importance of internal audit, this study provides comprehensive oversights on the
relationship between internal audit and firm performance. The past literature reveals there is a paucity
of studies exploring the association between internal audit characteristics (IAC) and firm performance
whether conceptual or empirical. The main objective of this study is to fill up the gap in the literature
and provide an opportunity for future research to deeply to investigate this relationship.